Jet Ski Sport Shines at Asia Beach Games
October 28, 2008
The IJSBA is pleased to bring you the complete coverage of the Jet Ski Sport events at the 2008 Asia Beach Games. This event was an exciting moment for the sport of PWC racing and for the Olympic Games as this is the first time a motorsport has been part of an Olympic Game in more than 100 years (Powerboating was part of the 1908 Summer Games). The IJSBA was honored to have been asked to assemble the technical supervising staff for the event. The competition management was handled by the Indonesian Jet Sport Boating Association, the IJSBA affiliate in Indonesia, which is headed by Mr. Saiful Aswar.
The Jet Ski Sport was divided into four categories specifically tailored to reflect the premiere classes for PWC racing and to highlight the participation of the top Asian PWC athletes. These classes included: Runabout 800, Ski Open, Runabout Open, and Endurance Open. All classes had enough participants to ensure competition for the medals. The beachfront location in front was ideal for the closed course settings. There was a point off of the shore that was perfect for scoring and the entire race was able to safely be placed with in a small cove type opening. There was a separate cove area for pilots to practice and tune.
The competition was excellent and, despite some delays due to tide conditions, the Jet Ski Sport enjoyed one of the biggest crowds of all the disciplines offered at the 2008 Beach Games. The crowd was enthusiastic and roared with each lap and leapt to their feats each time one racer would pass another. Spectators included hundreds of Indonesian fans along with dignitaries and royalty from other countries.
Riders from Thailand came the most prepared to sweep the cold medals from the Indonesians who had hoped to take top honors at their home field. However, a certain Kuwait rider came focused that at least one gold medal would return to the country which created the idea of a Beach Games. Lebanon came excited and, while they didn’t make the podium, their delegation left with a new sense of passion and direction for the 2009 season. The following were the final results:
Runabout 800
Gold: Ali AlShamali, Kuwait
Silver: Sudapet Tansai, Thailand
Bronze: Chokuthit Molee, Thailand
Ski Open
Gold: Arthit Wongpita, Thailand
Silver: Crutchanun Siriwattanakul, Thailand
Bronze: Irwnsyah Asi Pratama, Indonesia
Runabout Open
Gold: Ekachon Kingchanslip, Thailand
Silver: Apdun Dweiloh, Thailand
Bronze: Rocky Soerapoetra
Runabout Endurance
Gold: Pichet Settura, Thailand
Silver: Veerapong Maneechom, Thailand
Bronze: Temmy Fitramstah, Indonesia
The IJSBA wishes to congratulate all participants and medal winners. We also hope that the PWC inclusion of these games is a useful stepping stone for our friends at the UIM as we support their efforts to return powerboating to the Summer Games. Please stay tuned to the IJSBA for more news about the Jet Ski Sport in Asia Beach Games.
Official Site and Information:
www.bali2008.com
Managing Directors Comments- I feel it is appropriate to say a few things about the event. The entire Asia Beach Games event was launched in Late 2007 with the first delegates meeting occurring that September. To put this entire multi venue plan together in just 14 months was rather ambitious.
To do this and include an all new sport (Jet Ski) that nobody inside the Olympic circles had any experience with was probably unrealistic. Of the 12 countries that were slated to participate, only a fraction were able to get competitors to the event.
Some could not make it through customs, others could not get cooperation from their own National Olympic Committee due to the small amount of information available in relation to the expenses of sending the racers and their equipment to Bali. I am mentioning these things not to criticize any person or organization but rather to highlight the amazing way the PWC sport is always able to rise above difficulties and to set the standard for sportsmanship. The Jet Ski Sport was one of the top three attended sports at the Asia Beach Games.
After the event, the buzz was all about the PWC races which drew and excited such a good crowd. Organizers for the 2010 Asia Beach Games were at the venue and were very excited to have PWC Racing as a focal point of the next event. No less than six new countries joined the IJSBA and prepared for intensive development and training regimes for the 2009 season which they hope will lead them to be serious contenders in the 2010 games.
This should further underscore the durability of our sport and reinforce that PWC Racing is one of the world’s dominate sports in exciting and unifying people to become participants and spectators.
Visit
www.ijsba.com to view photos online
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